President Gurib-Fakim urges Pakistan to use Mauritius as gateway

On the invitation of President Mamnoon Hussain, Mauritian President Dr Ameenah Gurib-Fakim was on an official visit to Pakistan this week. While noting the importance of economy and trade in boosting bilateral ties, Mauritius and Pakistan agreed to upgrade the existing Preferential Trade Agreement (PTA) to a Free Trade Agreement (FTA) at an early date. The decision came at the delegation level meeting between the two sides. Pakistan signed the PTA with Mauritius in 2007 as it has a huge potential for Pakistani products and serves as gateway for the entire African region. During the talks, the two sides also reviewed the current status of bilateral relations and reaffirmed their commitment to further strengthening of the cooperative ties, with particular focus on economy and trade. President Gurib-Fakim urged Pakistan to take advantage of the strategic location of Mauritius as a gateway to the African continent, which was exhibiting a great developmental potential.